Two New Lynx Spider Species of Hamadruas and Oxyopes and the First Record of Hamadruas Thorell, 1887 (Araneae: Oxyopidae) from Wai, Maharashtra, India

Posted by
  Two New Lynx Spider Species of Hamadruas and Oxyopes and the First Record of Hamadruas Thorell, 1887 (Araneae: Oxyopidae) from Wai, Maharashtra, India Abstract The present study reports two oxyopid spider species from Wai, Satara District, Maharashtra, India, based on morphological examination of specimens collected from the Kisan Veer Mahavidyalaya campus. The specimens were collected using hand-collection and sweep-net methods, preserved in 70% ethanol, and examined under a stereotrinocular microscope. Diagnostic structures, including the female epigyne and male palp, were studied after dissection, and distribution maps were prepared using QGIS. Hamadruas kvmensis sp. nov. is characterised by distinct dark elongated spermathecal lobes, a rounded central region forming the median fertilisation duct, curved copulatory ducts, and a male palp with an elongated curved cymbium, large bulb, prominent tegulum, slender embolus, conductor, tibial apophysis and sensory setae. Oxyopes wai...

Unveiling the Protein Components of the Secretory-Venom Gland and Venom of the Scorpion Centruroides possanii (Buthidae) through Omic Technologies

Posted by

 


Unveiling the Protein Components of the Secretory-Venom Gland and Venom of the Scorpion Centruroides possanii (Buthidae) through Omic Technologies


Abstract
Centruroides possanii is a recently discovered species of “striped scorpion” found in Mexico. Certain species of Centruroides are known to be toxic to mammals, leading to numerous cases of human intoxications in the country. Venom components are thought to possess therapeutic potential and/or biotechnological applications. Hence, obtaining and analyzing the secretory gland transcriptome and venom proteome of C. possanii is relevant, and that is what is described in this communication. Since this is a newly described species, first, its LD50 to mice was determined and estimated to be 659 ng/g mouse weight. Using RNA extracted from this species and preparing their corresponding cDNA fragments, a transcriptome analysis was obtained on a Genome Analyzer (Illumina) using the 76-base pair-end sequencing protocol. Via high-throughput sequencing, 19,158,736 reads were obtained and ensembled in 835,204 sequences. Of them, 28,399 transcripts were annotated with Pfam. A total of 244 complete transcripts were identified in the transcriptome of C. possanii. Of these, 109 sequences showed identity to toxins that act on ion channels, 47 enzymes, 17 protease inhibitors (PINs), 11 defense peptides (HDPs), and 60 in other components. In addition, a sample of the soluble venom obtained from this scorpion was analyzed using an Orbitrap Velos apparatus, which allowed for identification by liquid chromatography followed by mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) of 70 peptides and proteins: 23 toxins, 27 enzymes, 6 PINs, 3 HDPs, and 11 other components. Until now, this work has the highest number of scorpion venom components identified through omics technologies. The main novel findings described here were analyzed in comparison with the known data from the literature, and this process permitted some new insights in this field.

García-Villalvazo, Patricia Elizabeth, Juana María Jiménez-Vargas, Gisela Jareth Lino-López, Erika Patricia Meneses, Manuel de Jesús Bermúdez-Guzmán, Carlos Eduardo Barajas-Saucedo, Iván Delgado Enciso, Lourival Domingos Possani, and Laura Leticia Valdez-Velazquez. 2023. "Unveiling the Protein Components of the Secretory-Venom Gland and Venom of the Scorpion Centruroides possanii (Buthidae) through Omic Technologies" Toxins 15, no. 8: 498. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins15080498